Hospitals during the Middle Ages were more like the hospices of today, or homes for the aged and needy. The most famous medieval book on herbs is probably the “Red Book of Hergest,” which was written in Welsh around 1390 C.E. The Christian Doctrine of Signature said that God would provide some kind of relief for every disease, and that each substance had a signature which indicated how effective it might be.įor this reason, they used seeds that looked like miniature skulls, such as the skullcap, to treat headache, for example. The local apothecary or witch, too, might provide herbs. Herbs were very important, and monasteries had extensive herb gardens to produce herbs to resolve each imbalance humor. The theory lasted for 2,000 years, until scientists discredited it. To restore the right balance, a doctor would recommend:
The body’s natural reaction was to cough it up. Lung problems, for example, happened when there was too much phlegm in the body. Medical establishments believed that levels of these humors would fluctuate in the body, depending on what people ate, drank, inhaled, and what they had been doing. They had to be in perfect balance, or a person would become sick, either physically or in terms of personality.Īn imbalance could result from inhaling or absorbing vapors. The theory held that four different bodily fluids - humors - influenced human health. The ancient Egyptians developed the theory of humorism, Greek scholars and physicians reviewed it, and then Roman, medieval Islamic, and European doctors adopted it.Įach humor was linked to a season, an organ, a temper, and an element. Other major texts that were translated explained the theories of Hippocrates and Galen. It remained an important text for several centuries. Scholars translated it and, in time, it became essential reading throughout Western European centers of learning. In the Islamic World, Avicenna was writing “The Canon of Medicine.” This included details on Greek, Indian, and Muslim medicine. These explained discoveries that Islamic doctors and scholars had made, based on Greek and Roman theories. Others felt that medicine was not in keeping with faith.ĭuring the Crusades, many people traveled to the Middle East and learnt about scientific medicine from Arabic texts. Some monks, such as the Benedictines, cared for the sick and devoted their lives to that. In the hope that repentance for sins might help, people practiced penance and went on pilgrimages, for example, to touch the relics of a saint, as a way of finding a cure. The Church was an important institution, and people started to mix or replace their spells and incantations with prayers and requests to saints, together with herbal remedies. Medieval medical practiceĪcross Europe, the quality of medical practitioners was poor, and people rarely saw a doctor, although they might visit a local wise woman, or witch, who would provide herbs or incantations. However, with them came new public health problems. Monarchs became owners of more territory, their wealth grew, and their courts became centers of culture. The Universities of Oxford and Paris were established. Often, monks were the only people who could read and write.Īround 1066 C.E., things began to change. Only in the monasteries was there a chance for learning and science to continue. They did not read or write, and there was no schooling. Scientific theories had little chance to develop or spread. There were no services for public health or education at this time, and communication was poor. Even by 1350, the average life expectancy was 30–35 years, and 1 in 5 children died at birth.
The Early Middle Ages, or Dark Ages, started when invasions broke up Western Europe into small territories run by feudal lords.
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